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LE ROY G. WEBSTER.

BOTTLE STOPPERING DEVICE.

I No. 603,804. Patented May 3,1898,

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liumriuiimmne 11 GHQ 014M 2 UNITE STATES I PATENT FFICE LE ROY .C.WEBSTER, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

BOTTLE-ST OPPERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,304, dated May 3,1898.

Application filed August 2 8, 1 8 97.

To allwhom it mag/concern.-

Be it known that I, LE ROY O. WEBSTER, a I

captain in the United States Marine Corps,

a citizen of the United States, stationed at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bottlestoppering Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description 10 of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My inv'entionrelates to improvements in stoppers for bottles, jugs, andsimilar vessels,

[5 and has for its object to provide a stopper which after the vesselhas been once filled and the stopper inserted cannot be removed from thevessel without so marring its appearance as to render the same uselessfor refilling,

thus preventing the fraudulent filling of the vessel with impure orspurious liquids, to the injury of the original vender of the bottle andcontents.

My invention, which consists in the novel devices hereinafter describedand claimed,

will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, whereinthe same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the severalviews.

- Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the neck of the bottleprovided with my improved stopper. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section takenon the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged plan view ofthe locking- 3 5 disk and spring, the central tube being shown insection. Fig. {i represents a section through the stopper and itsattachments, taken on the line 4. 4 in Fig. 1 and looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 illustrates a 0 modificationof the stoppering devices shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and Fig. 6 representsan inverted central longitudinal section of the said devices in positionin a bottle-neck;

A represents the neck of a bottle or other similar vessel, the upper endof which has an internally-thickened portion A, provided with aplurality of inner vertical grooves, such as a, a and 0. These groovesare of Serial No. 649,856. (No model.)

bottle-neck, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The main portion of the neck may be straight or tapering or of any othersuitable form. I 1

B represents a stopper, which may be either of hard wood and providedwith axial ribs and grooves to correspond with the grooved portion ofthe bottle-neck or of cork and not ribbed and grooved, but preferablysomewhat tapered. The compressibility of a cork stopper will allow it tobe forced into the grooved portion of the neck even though the diameterof the said cork stopper be somewhat greater before being inserted thanthe smallest di ameter of the grooved portion of the neck of the bottle,and while being inserted, as well as afterward, the said cork stopperwill expand into the grooves in the bottle-neck, so that the exterior ofthe cork will eventually assume the shape of the interior of the neck ofthe bottle, as will be obvious. The stopper shown in the drawings isrepresented as being of cork. 7

0 represents a hollow tube of some noncorrosive material, preferablymetal, which is fitted through a central axial opening in the stopper Band is secured therein in any suitable manner. One end of said tubeextends a short distance above the upper end of the stopper B and ispreferably screwthreaded to receive a screw-cap 0 for closing the upperend of said tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. A circular disk A is alsopreferably fitted over the tube 0 upon the stopper B, and this diskshould be large enough to extend over the mouth of the bottle when thestopper is inserted, as seen in Fig. 1. The tube (3 extends somedistance below the stopper into the neck of the vessel and is closed atits lower end by means of a disk 0, which is of a somewhat largerdiameter than the outer diameter of the tube, thus forming ,a stop forthe sliding plug F, hereinafter referred to.

The tube (J has a longitudinal partition 0' therein which reaches fromits lower end to or near its upper end, thus forming in the said tubetwo non-communication chambers or passages, as seen in Fig.1. At or nearthe lower end of the tube 0 is an opening 0 which communicates with oneof said chambers or passages, and a short distance above this openingand on the opposite side of the tube is a similar opening c", which.communicates with the other chamber or passage.

F represents a hard solid plug provided with a central axial openingwhich fits snugly but loosely over the tube 0, whereon the said plug mayslide of its own weight between the stops 0 and 0 upon said tube. Thesaid plug is preferably held against rotary motion upon the tube G bymeans of a rib c on the said tube which engages a corresponding groovein the inner periphery of the plug, as seen in Fig. 4:, so that the ribsthereon may not fall into line with the corresponding ribs on the rotaryplug D, hereinafter referred to.

The plugF is long enough to cover both of the openings 0 and 0 when inits lowest position-that is, resting upon the stop c-and the length ofthe tube O between the upper opening 0 and the stop 0 is great enough toallow the two openings to be entirely uncovered when the said plug is inits other extreme position-that is, resting against the upper stop 0 onthe tube. The said plug F is formed with axial ribs upon its periphery,such as f and f which correspond with the grooves in the bottle-neckthrough which the said plug is to be inserted.

D represents a solid plug or disk having axial ribs (Z, (1*, and (1 uponits periphery corresponding to the grooves a, a and a in thebottle-neck, and this plug or disk D also has a central axial openingtherethrough for the passage of the tube 0, as shown. The said disk Dfits over the tube 0 and is retained in its position beneath and nearthe stopper by means of the annular rib or stop 0 fitted upon said tube,as seen in Figs. 1 and 4. A coil 6 may also be formed in this wire and apin 0 passed through this coil into the stopper, as seen in Figs. 1 and3. This spring connection between the stopper and the disk D will allowthe one to turn through a small are relative to the other when both areheld; but when one is released it will return to its normal positionrelatiy e to the other. The plugs and stopper may be placed upon thetube in anypreferred order. Thus the disk 0 at the lower end of the tubemay be made integral therewith, and the plug F may be slipped on firstover the upper end of the tube and then secured by the annular rib 0being applied, the disk D and the stopper being afterward put 011 intheir proper order, or the disk 0 may be applied after the plug F hasbeen slipped over the lower end of the tube.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The parts being fittedtogether as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, except that the screw-cap C shouldpreferably be removed and put on later, the plug F is turned to itsproper position and inserted through the grooved portion A of the neck.Then the disk D is started in the said grooved portion. After startingthe disk D the stopper and tube are given a twist, and the stopper isthen forced down into the grooved portion A of the neck. By the time thestopper has been forced down as far as it will go the diskDwillhavepassed entirely through the grooved portion of the neck, and as soon asit does so the spring connection E by the tension put thereon intwisting the stopper will cause the disk D to jump around to its normalposition relative to the stopper, which motion will throw the ribs onsaid disk out of line with the corresponding grooves in the bottle-neck,thus rendering it impossible without destroying the stopper to turn saiddisk back to the position necessary to its withdrawal, the said stopperbeing held in the grooves against turning and the disk thus effectuallylocking the stopper against being pulled straight out.

In Figs. 5 and (3 I have shown a slight modification in connection withthe plug F. In these figures the plug F is shown as slotted uponopposite sides, as at 7t0 7t", and wire arms II and II are pivoted atone end, as at h and h, in these slots in the said plug, as seen mostclearly in Fig. 6. These arms are of different lengths, the shorter arm,such as H, carrying a heavy block or weight 7L2, having a concave innerface conforming to the exterior surface of the tube 0 and adapted tofall over the opening 0 in the said tube when the plug F is in itsuppermost position and the bottle turned so as to cause the said weightto fall upon the tube, and the longer arm, such as 11, carrying asimilar block or weight 7L3, adapted to fall over the opening a in thetube C. IVhen the bottle is held upright, the weights 7L2 and 7t3 willhang vertically, as shown in Fig. 5; but upon the bottle being tiltedpast a horizontal line one of the weights will swing off and the plugwill slide along the tube toward the disk D, the other weight holdingits corresponding opening closed. IVhen the bottle is held at an anglebetween the vertical and the horizontal with its mouth downward, theuppermost weight will hold the corresponding opening in the tube closed;but when the bottle is held in a vertical position the weights 7L2 andIt will both fall away from the tube 0 and the openings and 0 willremain clear for the passage of liquid from the bottle. The function ofthese swinging weights is to keep at least one of the openings 0 and 0closed at all times, except when the bottle is inverted vertically, sothat liquid cannot flow into or out of the bottle, except when held in avertical inverted position, when the weights fall off from the tube 0and leave the openings 0 and c free for the passage of liquid and air.Thus it will be seen the bottle cannot be refilled by immersion in ahorizontal position in a volume of the liquid, although it can only bepartially refilled in such a position without the assistance of theseswinging weights. While these swinging weights may be advantageous touse, yet they may be omitted, if preferred, inasmuch as'it will beimpossible to completely refill the bottle even without them.

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device for stoppering bottles, jugs, and similar vessels, thecombination with a stopper, and a hollow tube passing through an axialopening through said stopper and extending some distance below the saidstopper, said tube being closed at its lower end and having .a pluralityof openings therein near said end; of a hollow plug inclosing the lowerpart of said tube and adapted to slide thereon stops limiting themovement of said plug; a locking-disk encircling said tube beneath, andnear said stopper; and a flexible connection between said disk and saidstopper, substantially a described;

2. In a device for stoppering bottles, jugs, and similar vessels, thecombination with a stopper, and a hollow tube passing through an axialopening through said stopper and extending some distance below saidstopper, said tube being closed at its lower end and having twonon-communicating longitudinal chambers or passages therethrough withopenings near the lower end of said tube leading to said chambers;- of ahollow plug inclosing the lower part of said tube and adapted to slidethereon; stops limiting the movement of said plug; a locking-diskencircling said tube beneath and near said stopper; and aflexibleconneotion. between-said disk and stopper, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a device for stoppering bottles,.jugs

. and similar vessels, the combination with a stopper, and a hollowtube, passing through an axial opening in said stopper and extendingsome dista'ncebelow said stopper, said tube being closed at its lowerend and having two non-communicating longitudinal chambers or passagestherethrough, with an opening entering each chamber near the'lower endof said tube, but the one being nearer said end than the other; of ahollow plug inclosing the lower part of said tube and having one or moreribs and grooves thereon, said hollow plug being adapted to slide onsaid hollow tube and to cover and uncover said opening therein; alocking-disk encircling said tube beneath and nearsaid stopper andhaving an outer periphery similar to that of said hollow plug; and aflexible connection between said disk and stopper, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a bottle or jug, having a neck provided with aspeciallyformed contracted internal passage; of a stopper adapted to fitinto said passage; a hollow tube passing through an axial opening insaid stopper, and adapted to extend into the neck of the bottle or jug,said tube being closed at its lower end and having a plurality ofopenings near said end; a hollow plug in closing thelower portion ofsaid tube and adapted to slide thereon of its own weight and thus coverand uncover said openings; stops limiting the movement of said plug; alocking-disk having its periphery formed to correspond with thecontracted passage in said neck; encircling said tube beneath and nearsaid stopper; and a flexible connection between said locking-disk andsaid stopper; substantially as described. 1

5. The combination with a bottle or jug, having a neck provided with aspeciallyformed. contracted internal passage; of a stopper adapted toflt into said passage; a hollow tube passingthrough said stopper andadapted to extend into the neck of the bottle or jug some distance, saidtube being closed at its lower end and having a pair of openings thereinnear but at unequal distances from said end; a longitudinal partitiondividing said tube into two non-communicating internal passages; ahollow plug inclosing the lower portion of said tube and adapted toslide thereon of its own weight, and thus cover and uncover saidopenings, stops limiting the movement of said plugs, a locking-disk having its periphery formed to correspond with the contracted passage insaid neck encircling said tube beneath and near said stopper, and aflexible connection between said lockingdisk and said stopper,substantially as described.

6. The combination with a bottle or jug, having a neck provided with aspeciallyformed contracted internal passage, of a stopper adapted to fitinto saidpassage; a hollow tube passing through an axial opening in saidstopper and adapted to extend some distance into the neck of the bottleor jug, said tube being closed at its lower end; a longitudinalpartition in said tube dividingthe latter into two non-communicatinginternal passages an opening in said tube communicatin g with one ofsaid passages near the lower end of said tube; another openingcommunicating with the other of said passages at a greater distance fromthe end of said tube; a

.hollow plug having a periphery formed to correspond with the contractedpassage in said neck, inclosing the lower portion of said tube andadapted to slide thereon of its own weight and thus cover and uncoversaid opening; stops limiting the movement of said plug; a locking-diskhaving its periphery formed to correspond with the contracted passage insaid neck, encircling said tube beneath and near said stopper, and aspring-wire connection between said locking-disk and said stopper,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LE ROY O. WEBSTER.

Witnesses:

BERNARD F. BENSON, CHAs. H. BULKLEY.

